I decided to plant another hop garden, something small this time. It was just going to be four hills, two rhizomes per hill. Well, that was the goal until the rhizomes I ordered from Freshops arrived today. Three of the four cultivars I ordered are normal size rhizomes. The Perle rhizomes, on the other hand, are monsters. There are two rhizomes in a gallon size zip lock bag and it has to weigh at least a pound. I have planted several hop gardens on different properties over the years and I have never seen rhizomes like these two.
Dave has been selling hops and rhizomes since before I started brewing. I’ve never been disappointed in his stuff.
I had to recheck the price on the Perle rhizomes because I have never seen anything like them. The hills from which these two rhizomes were harvested have to be mature.
By the way, Dave was selling hops and rhizomes when I started brewing. If I recall correctly, he ran ads in Zymurgy and Brewing Techniques. I am willing to be bet that he was one of the first, if not the first direct West Coast hop broker for U.S. home brewing community. I have had good luck with his rhizomes in the past. I was wise enough to only order Downey Mildew resistant cultivars this time. I had an infection in my latest hop garden.
Yep! I started brewing in the mid-late 80’s and actually found some wild hops growing in a hedgerow a few miles west of Rochester, NY a year or so later. Couldn’t really find info back then but I did see his ad in the back of Zymurgy in '90 when I moved back to Ohio and after a few phone calls, I was on a plane out to the OBF (I think it was '91). I’ve actually helped pack orders for him and helped out brewing at his brewery (Oregon Trail) on my following visits out there. He was basically the first hop supplier to cater to the craft brewing industry as he began selling to Kenny Grossman, Greg Noonan, Larry Bell etc. as they were getting started because the rest of the industry was just in place to deal with AB, Miller etc. The Ralphs at Hopunion basically took a gamble on that idea and were the first of the bigger brokers to start packaging in smaller quantities. Prost to Dave!!
Bob, great to see you around again!